What You Used to Be
by Juliet316 2000
Summary: What would you do to save a friend?
1. Prologue

What You Used To Be

TITLE: What You Used to Be Prologue/?  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
EMAIL: Sweetvalley99@aol.com, Juliet_316_2000@yahoo.com, FYouWWF@aol.com  
CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE, TORTURE  
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST  
SPOILERS: Through WM - X7  
SUMMARY: What would you do to save a friend?  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these people in the story, their are either owned by World Wrestling Entertainment, or they own themselves.  
DISTRIBUTION: Fanfiction.net, WWOMB, anyplace else, please ask.  
  
_What You Used to Be  
  
Prologue  
  
March 29th, 2001  
  
_ Vince McMahon paced around the abandoned section of the parking lot of the arena where the World Wrestling Federation was holding SMACKDOWN that evening. He was waiting for his son - in - law Hunter Hearst Helmsley and WWF Commissioner William Regal to show back up, hopefully with what Vince wanted. This plan was so vital to Vince, that if anybody screwed up the assignments that Vince had given them, there would be hell to pay with the chairman of the WWF.  
  
Vince saw a black 2000 Lincoln Continental roll to a stop beside Vince. Triple H stepped out of the passenger side, while Regal who drove, popped the rental's trunk on his way out of the car. Hunter reached into the trunk and extracted someone out of it.  
  
Here ya go Vince, one sleeping Rattlesnake," The Game commented, laying the body of Stone Cold Steve Austin at Vince's feet.  
  
Vince looked hard at the man that was his son - in - law. Once, he'd considered doing the same to Hunter as he now planned to do to Austin, certainly Triple H wasn't exactly what the patriarch of the McMahon clan had pictured as a husband for his youngest daughter, Stephanie. The blond man, did, however make Stephanie quite happy and Vince didn't want to tamper with anything that might interfere with that happiness. Besides Hunter's evilness rivaled Vince's own and with all the problems Vince was having with his eldest child, Shane, Hunter may well be a perfect heir to Vince's empire one day. Vince inwardly shook himself out of his thoughts, focusing on the unconscious man at his feet.  
  
"Any problems?" Vince asked the two men standing in front of him.  
  
"No, not at all Mr. McMahon," Regal enthused, clearly sucking up to his boss.  
  
"Trailed him to an out of the way convenience store. Kurt and I lured him to a dark alley behind the store and knocked him out." Hunter explained referring to the third man who'd helped kidnap the Rattlesnake, Kurt Angle. "Stuffed him in Willy's trunk, then headed back here."  
  
"And Kurt?" Vince asked.  
  
"Took Austin's truck back to the rental place. Said he'd catch the next flight and meet us in Houston," Hunter said, referring to the site of Sunday's WrestleMania.  
  
"Good, good, if Stephanie and Trish did their jobs, the next part should be easy," Vince boasted referring to the mission he sent his daughter, Stephanie, and his mistress, Trish Stratus out on earlier in the evening after he fired Steve Austin's wife, Debra as the manager of Austin's WM opponent, The Rock. Though Stephanie was willing to use Trish's help in carrying out her father's orders, she refused to let Trish know what was really going on, not trusting the petite blond woman that Vince spent the better part of three months sleeping with. Stephanie gave another plausible explanation for why Vince wanted what he wanted done, and Vince grudgingly agreed to keep his Canadian mistress in the dark for now.  
  
"What now Vince?" The Game asked his father - in - law.  
  
"First, knock him out. I don't want him coming to on the way to your destination," Vince ordered as Regal produced a syringe that held a powerful sedative and plunged it into the Rattlesnake's surgically repaired neck. Hunter reached for Austin's prone body.  
  
"One second," Vince said halting his son - in - law. Bending down, Vince reached around and removed the gold chain necklace that had been hanging around Austin's neck. Standing back up, he pocketed the necklace.  
  
"There, a little souvenir of the Old Stone Cold, may he rest in peace soon.  Get him out of here and begin the plan."  
  
"Got it Vince." "Yes, Mr. McMahon," came from the two men as Hunter grabbed Austin and stuffed the Rattlesnake once again in the back of Regal's rented Continental.  
  
"Let's go Willy," Hunter barked as Regal got in on the driver's side of the Lincoln, proving that while Regal may have had the title of WWF Commissioner, the real power rested in Vince and his family.  
  
As Hunter and Regal drove away, Vince's cell phone rang.  
  
"Hello?" Vince asked.  
  
"Dad? We're done," Stephanie McMahon - Helmsley's voice came through the other end.  
  
"Your sure that you did everything I asked of you?"  
  
"Pictures and everything," Stephanie dutifully answered her father.  
  
"Trish even added some 'personal touches' of her own to ensure some additional confusion," Vince could almost hear the smirk in Stephanie's voice as she said that last sentence.  
  
"Good." Vince beamed. "Now get the hell out of there. Tell Trish to head up to our suite and get yourself to the warehouse. Regal and Hunter are already on their way there.  
  
"Got it. Bye Dad," Stephanie hung up.  
  
As Vince walked towards his limousine, he had a spring in hi step. Despite his son buying out WCW from under him and Mick Foley sticking his nose in where it didn't belong and making himself the special ref in the streetfight between Vince and Shane at WM, things were looking up. His wife, Linda was taken care up at the sanitarium, Trish was under his control, he had every confidence that Hunter and Regal would win their matches at WrestleMania, and by the end of that night in Houston, Vince would have the WWF Championship and it's Champion under his complete and total control as well.  
  
As he got into the limo, Vince McMahon laughed malevolently and ordered his driver to head in the direction Regal and Triple H had gone.  
  
Feedback appreciated.


	2. Chapter One: January 2004

I don't know if this is going to perk anybody up, but I figured we all needed some fic tonight after the bloodbath Vince has been giving us. Read the spoilers as it helps explain of the timeline changes to the WWF in this story.

TITLE: What You Used to Be Prologue/?  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
EMAIL:  
RATING: R

CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE, TORTURE  
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST  
SPOILERS: Through WM - X7. Chapter One takes place about three years after the prologue and is a bit AU'd I still have the InVasion, but it drags out an extra year, and I have Ric as owner with no nWo and no Roster split, therefore Flair never went heel and never lost 'ownership' to Vince.  
SUMMARY: What would you do to save a friend?  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these people in the story, there are either owned by World Wrestling Entertainment, or they own themselves.  
DISTRIBUTION: , WWOMB, anyplace else, please ask.  
  
_What you Used to Be_

___Chapter One_

___January 2004_

Debra Austin sighed as she watched another RAW in disgust. She didn't know why she continued to watch when it tore her apart everytime RAW and SMACKDOWN came on.

Everytime Steve came on.

Debra closed her eyes, fighting the tears that came with thinking of him. She'd been shocked when Steve Austin aligned himself with WWF owner Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania. She was even more shocked on RAW, the next night when Vince not only fired her and Rock, but she was also served with divorce papers. Although they had an inkling why they were fired and she had gotten slapped with divorce papers, it was hurtful and bewildering to not know exactly the root of what was happening. The only thing she knew was that Vince was behind Steve's sudden and shocking change.

At least she knew what really happened that night in Rock's hotel room.

The two fired superstars went to work for Shane's WCW. JR joined them after being horribly beaten by Steve on Vince's orders the following SMACKDOWN after WrestleMania. WCW did pretty well and came close to beating Vince until Survivor Series 2002 when Kurt Angle turned out to be a mole for Vince and turned on them all in the winner take all match, causing Rock to lose the match to Steve and effectively shutting down WCW for good. The gloating looks on Steve, Vince, Hunter, and Stephanie were almost too much for Debra to bear.

Ric Flair, after it'd been revealed that he'd gotten Shane and Linda's shares in the company, had offered many of the now out of work WCWers jobs in the WWF, or in the case of those that had defected, their jobs back. Not surprisingly, not many people took Ric on his generous offer. JR decided to permanently retire, Rock was starting to have a pretty decent acting career, riding high on the successes of "The Mummy Returns," "The Scorpion King" and "The Rundown," so there was really no need for him to go back to working for the WWF, and thus far hadn't. As for Debra herself, it was far too painful for her to go back and see a too much changed Steve Austin, a man who now bore very little resemblance to the man she had married, except in physical appearance.

All traces of the Austin everybody knew before WrestleMania X-7 were gone. In his place was a corporate suit - wearing ass kisser.

Debra sighed, turning off RAW after Steve tried to beat up the man who had eventually taken the WWF title away from him, Chris Benoit. She remembered sending Chris congratulations after he'd won it from Steve last year at WrestleMania XIX in Seattle. She also knew Steve had been sent out to try and soften up Benoit before Royal Rumble, where Benoit would be defending against Triple H. Steve would be one of the 30 contestants in the Rumble vying for a spot in the Main Event at WrestleMania XX in Madison Square Garden. There was really no doubt in Debra or anybody else's mind what Vince wanted for the Main Event this year.

In a dark pessimistic mood, Debra turned off the light and fell into another restless sleep wondering again where everything went wrong.

Juliet3:16 (Proud American)


	3. Chapter Two: Time to Give up?

TITLE: What You Used to Be Prologue?  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
EMAIL:  
RATING: R

CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE, TORTURE  
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST  
SPOILERS: Through WM - X7. Chapter One takes place about three years after the prologue and is a bit AU'd. I still have the InVasion, but it drags out an extra year, and I have Ric as owner with no nWo and no Roster split, therefore Flair never went heel and never lost 'ownership' to Vince.  
SUMMARY: What would you do to save a friend?  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these people in the story, they are owned by either World Wrestling Entertainment, or they own themselves. The quote used in this chapter is by Soren Kierkergard.  
DISTRIBUTION, WWOMB, anyplace else, please ask.

_What You Used to Be_

_Chapter Two_

_Time to give up?_

_The day after Royal Rumble 2004_

Mick Foley sighed. It was the day after the Royal Rumble and if that Pay Per View was any indication, WrestleMania XX was going to be a disaster of epic proportions, especially if Vince went through with the nWoesque one finger title lay down WM main event that everybody thought he was going to do. Because there was no way Vince was going to have his pet rattlesnake take the title off his son - in - law. But nobody could see anyway to eliminate or alter the Austin/Helmsley main event. As he sat down in his writing room, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Mick answered, "Oh hey JR."

Hey Mick," the tired voice of Jim Ross said on the other end in Oklahoma.

"I take it that you saw the PPV?" Mick said already knowing what the retired ring announcer's answer would be.

"King told me," Ross replied, referring to his former announcing colleague Jerry 'the King' Lawler, who was given his job back after Paul Heyman was fired following WCW's failed InVasion. Michael Cole had JR's former play - by - play RAW position in addition to his own SMACKDOWN announcing duties alongside former wrestler Tazz.

"Is Vince deliberately trying to destroy his own company?" Mick asked. It was rhetorical but Ross answered anyway.

"Sure seems like it, from where I sit," he said angrily. There was silence and then a tired sigh.

"I think it's time we faced it Mick."

"Faced what?" Mick asked, knowing deep down what Ross was getting at.

"The fact that the Steve we knew is gone and he ain't coming back. Vince finally won this time and there ain't anyway around it. The bastard has everything he wants save for getting rid of Ric, and he'll probably find a way sooner or later of doing that too."

Mick was quiet for a few moments.

"I'd like to be that certain of that fact, JR."

Mick and JR talked for a few more minutes before hanging up, catching up on their lives since they had last talked with each other. After they had hung up, Mick tried to focus on other things but his mind and heart were divided on the conversation he had with JR.

A huge part of him wanted to agree with JR and everybody else: That Vince McMahon had ultimately outsmarted them all and they would never see any glimpse of the man they once knew underneath the butt kisser that was currently in his place. Everyone else had given up on Steve and it was hard not to follow suit, but Mick still had a spark of hope with him. It was fading though and Mick didn't know how to hold onto it.

As he pondered, a book fell from one of the shelves in the writing room. Picking it up it fell open in his hand. He noted that it was the book of poems and quotes that his oldest, daughter Noelle, gave him last Christmas. A quote near the middle of the page opened caught his eye:

_Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the prodigal son who had fallen most low, could still be saved; the bitterest enemy also he who was your friend could again be your friend; love that has grown cold can kindle again._

Mick thought about the quote and how it reflected his own feelings about what was going on with Steve and the whole mess with Steve having gone so deep with Vince. He wondered if the quote was to be taken as a sort of a sign that perhaps he shouldn't give up on Steve, as everyone else seemed so ready to do. That perhaps he should cling to whatever hope he had left that Mick could find that the real person that was underneath the corporate lackey that Steve Austin had become was still there.

His spirits about the situation once again buoyed, Mick went about his day's business.

Up Next: A conversation between Ric Flair and Chris Benoit.


	4. Chapter Three: Old Friends

I needed to get this out tonight. Something not too angsty, and I had it done before Sunday. Sorry about the heading on the repost. I was thinking. This IS the real Chapter three.

TITLE: What You Used to Be Chapter One?  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
EMAIL: RATING: R  
CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE, TORTURE  
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST  
SPOILERS: Through WM - X7  
SUMMARY: What would you do to save a friend?  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these people in the story, they are owned by either World Wrestling Entertainment, or they own themselves.  
DISTRIBUTION: WWOMB, anyplace else, please ask.

_What You Used to Be_

_Chapter Three_

_'A conversation between old friends'_

"Dammit!"

Ric Flair looked up at the uncharacteristic outburst. The look of rage on the younger man's face told Ric all he needed to know even if he hadn't watched the exchange between Chris Benoit and William Regal on the monitor.

Ric sighed. "Sorry pal, Vince is dead set for this one and the board decided long ago that the Commissioner had the final authority on all matches."

"Then they should have appointed a commish that wasn't in Vince's fucking pocket!" Benoit ground out, pacing around the room.

"Unfortunately, Regal's too good at toeing the line for anybody on the board but Linda to really notice that," Ric pointed out. William Regal was a smart enough man to know that to keep his job secure, he needed to balance out his decisions. Therefore, he made just enough fair decisions to keep under the radar of the board, but not enough to undermine Vince McMahon's agenda. That stymied any hope of loosening Vince and Stephanie's power grip on the Federation; despite Ric having 50 ownership of the company. To prevent one from ousting the other, the board made sure that neither Vince nor Ric could manipulate the other out of his stake in the company, including barring any and all "winner take all" matches in any way, shape, or form. All match decisions rested with the Commissioner.

Which while it kept Vince and Stephanie from pulling an outright power play like they had with Linda McMahon, it kept majority power with Vince's faction since Regal was solidly in Vince's pocket and there were no signs of that changing anytime soon.

Benoit let out a sign and finally sat down on the leather couch in the room.

"Tag Team match? Yeah right," Benoit snorted, "Vince wants a three on one massacre. I mean: Angle and Helmsley against me and Austin? C'mon Ric, you know as well as I do it'll be a glorified handicap match!"

"I really wish I could do something about it, Chris," Ric said wearily. Benoit noted that the last couple of years had taken a toll on his mentor and friend. Not nearly the massive toll the last few years of WCW had taken before it was bought by Shane McMahon, but a toll nonetheless.

"Yeah, well we both know he's doing this to prevent you from altering WrestleMania," Benoit pointed out, "take me out and he has his precious main event. Keeps the title on his son - in - law and keeps his bitch daughter happy."

Benoit then made a face, knowing Ric did not like using the word bitch against a woman.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Don't be," Ric said, "I may not like the word but it's probably an accurate assessment of her character. Besides it would be a three - on - one anyhow if I figured out a way to get you into that title match. Vince would put Angle in it to make it a four way and we both know it."

"At least Helmsley would actually have to fight for the belt. Hell if I though it wouldn't give Vince the opportunity to do what he wants, I'd say make it an elimination match and start it off with me and Angle," Benoit snorted, thinking in contempt of man that cost him the WWF title just a couple of weeks prior at the Royal Rumble.

Ric nodded remembering Angle's interference in that match that allowed Triple H to hit the Pedigree and pin Benoit to, in Ric's view, unfairly regain the WWF Title.

"I wish there was more I could do, Chris," Ric offered again. There really wasn't much Ric could think of to help Benoit out at No Way Out.

Benoit snorted again. "The only thing that's going to help is if Austin suddenly turned on Vince in the next couple of weeks. Look I'm going to get my gear, call Nancy and the kids, and get back to the hotel. Catch you later Ric."

"Yeah, see ya, pal," Ric said as he watched his friend walking away, wishing there was something that could be done in this no - win situation.

Next up: The evil genius himself, Vince.


	5. Chapter Four: Mind of an Evil Genius

TITLE: What You Used to Be Chapter Four?  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16

RATING: R  
EMAIL: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE, TORTURE  
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST  
SPOILERS: Through WM - X7  
SUMMARY: What would you do to save a friend?  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these people in the story, they are owned by either World Wrestling Entertainment, or they own themselves.  
DISTRIBUTION: WWOMB, anyplace else, please ask.

_What You Used to Be_

_Chapter Four_

_Mind of an evil genius_

Vince McMahon smirked as he secretly watched the conversation between Flair and Benoit on the monitor. He could not hear what was being said, but he could guess. This time Flair could do absolutely nothing to help his friend and Benoit had literally no way out.

It was as if multiple revenges were coming together almost at once over the course of these next two PPVs. First Benoit would be punished for daring to steal the title from Austin, the previous year at WrestleMania, and then properly disposed of at No Way Out. Then Undertaker and Angle would get the tag belts from Jericho and Eddie Guerrero before or at WrestleMania. Then WrestleMania. The one Vince was anticipating the most. The final and complete humiliation of Steve Austin.

At first it had seemed all too easy. For that first year or so, Vince kept looking over his shoulder, constantly expecting Austin to be faking and turn on him at any moment. As time passed and it became more and more apparent that Austin was not faking it, that the brainwashing took, Vince began to relax. Not completely, because Vince could never completely relax, but he felt comfortable enough with the situation to perform a similar brainwashing on another of his unruly employees, Undertaker, shortly after the WCW InVasion was squashed in late 2002.

"You wanted to see us Vince?" his son - in - law, interrupted Vince's thoughts. Vince looked up to see Triple H and Steve Austin enter the office.

"Ah, yes, gentlemen," Vince motioned them into chairs.

"It would appear that our esteemed commissioner has granted our match request. To keep things fair, it will be, of course a tag team match."

Triple H smirked. "Not that a three on one is much better than a two on one. Same result in the end. Benoit gets destroyed, and Flair can't change the main event at 'Mania. We win."

"Don't go getting cocky yet, Hunter," his wife said, entering the room, "Benoit's had a way of getting out of our traps before."

Triple H looked at his wife with a sadistic gleam in his eye.

"Not this time, Steph. There's no fucking way he can get out of this one. So Vince, what's the plan for the next couple weeks? Wanna play with Benoit's mind? Make him thing Austin's going to be on the up and up with him and then . . . " Triple H smacked his fist into the open palm of his other hand.

Vince waved off the idea. "Benoit and Flair will be expecting that sort of thing. No gentlemen, and Steph, I think this one will be quite straightforward. Benoit's screwed and he and Flair know it. There is, if you'll pardon the pun, No Way Out for Chris Benoit."

"And then comes WrestleMania," Triple H gloated.

Vince looked at Austin.

"Steve," Vince began, "why don't you and Undertaker head back to the hotel. The rest of us will be along soon."

"Yes, sir, Mr. McMahon," Austin said in the sophisticated tone that Vince had to fight not to grin ear to ear at the sound of. The proper tones Vince had brainwashed into Austin and Undertaker made Vince proud. The only regret was that the southern accents of both men could not be obliterated altogether.

Stephanie watched as Austin left and made sure he was out of earshot before shutting the door and smacking her husband upside the head.

"OW!" Hunter exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"Reinforcing her earlier point," Vince answered for his daughter, "don't get cocky Hunter."

"Just because I fucking mentioned 'mania?"

"Because you mentioned it in front of Austin," Stephanie hissed.

"The less time he has to know what we expect him to do for you out there," Vince explained, "the better."

"Yeah, well, so far he is the only one oblivious to it," Hunter grunted.

"We need to keep him oblivious until the time comes," Stephanie said, worry creeping into her voice. "Dad we're so close - "

"We have nothing to worry about," Vince told his daughter gently, "Austin's so far gone that I don't think he would even realize he was humiliating himself when the time comes."

"So is Undertaker," Triple H added. "Remind me to call and thank Nash for that one finger idea. Sorry bringing him and Scott back didn't work out."

Vince scowled, not liking to be reminded too often about that. In an effort to destroy Flair in early 2003, Vince tried to hire Flair's worst enemies: the nWo; Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Hollywood Hogan to attempt to wreak havoc on the Federation. Unbeknownst to him, his estranged wife, Linda, changed the offer he was making from a high one to a very low one. The group balked and Hall and Nash were now wrestling for the upstart TNA and Hogan was managing his daughter's singing career. It was just another reason Vince was eagerly anticipating the fast tracking of their divorce.

"Anyways," Stephanie interceded, knowing the nWo debacle was a sore point for her father, "let's just get out of here."

"You two can go on, I have work to do," Vince told them.

Stephanie gave her father a dubious look, but left with her husband anyway. A short while later, the door to Vince's office opened. The WWF co - owner looked up to see a busty brunette slither toward him.

"Ah Candice, what can I do for you?"

"I think, Mr. McMahon it's, what _I _can do for you?" Candice said breathlessly, removing her dress coat to reveal a very skimpy corset.

Vince McMahon's face took on a lecherous cast as he abandoned his paperwork and took the brunette in his arms.

His life was very good.

Yeah for the moment. More to come soon. Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter Five: Intervention

Okay, the first part of this chapter maybe a little weird, but I was told by several of my regular readers that they thought it would be okay so I'm going to go ahead and include that in this chapter. Consider this the turning point :-)

TITLE: What You Used to Be Chapter Four?  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16

RATING: R  
EMAIL: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE, TORTURE  
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST  
SPOILERS: Through WM - X7  
SUMMARY: What would you do to save a friend?  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these people in the story, they are owned by either World Wrestling Entertainment, or they own themselves.  
DISTRIBUTION: WWOMB, anyplace else, please ask.

_What You Used to Be_

_Chapter Five_

_Intervention._

_"We're losing him."_

_"No - sorry. I still forget we're not supposed to say those things up here."_

_"And you've been here longer."_

_"Look. The point is: We're losing Steve. Any longer and we won't be able to get him or 'taker out from the number Vince is doing to them!"_

_"I know."_

_"And we can't do jack because we're dead! That's the only drawback about this place. I can't go down there and shake the stuffing out of Steve for swallowing Vince's Kool - Ade."_

_"I thought Heyman was the one with the Kool - Ade?"_

_"You know what I mean."_

_"Now you know how I felt about Bret and the nWo. Thankfully that was short-lived. Even if it wasn't how I wanted that to end."_

_"What can we do? It's almost impossible to turn those two back now!"_

_"Not much but . . . "_

_"But what?"_

_"Maybe we can nudge things some into the right direction."_

Linda McMahon looked around what would soon be her former home. The divorce proceedings to Vince were finally getting underway and as a part of the settlement still being worked out, both had agreed to sell their Connecticut mansion and divide the profits from the sale. Now as part of the first round of divorce arbitration, she and Vince had been ordered to go through the house and see what each wanted to keep in the final divorce settlement.

Linda sighed. The last few years had been hard on her. She felt Vince had completely lost touch with reality and took their youngest with them on his descent into megalomania. Though she had asked for a divorce shortly after WrestleMania X - Seven, she had waited to file until last year, hoping against hope that Vince might come to his senses or something like that. It had been shortly after Vince humiliated their son following WCW's defeat at Survivor Series 2002 that Linda finally realized that she was finally done with Vince. She waited a few months until she had made sure that Vince could not wrestle away Ric Flair's stake in ownership to file divorce papers.

She had enjoyed the look on Vince's face at the Royal Rumble when Shane served his father with the divorce papers.

Flair had offered to give Shane back the shares the younger McMahon had sold the Nature Boy. Shane refused saying he needed to take time away from wrestling and figure out if he still wanted to be involved in the business he grew up in. Shane currently oversaw several websites, including WWF's website (without Vince's knowledge). The only time Shane had appeared on TV since that fateful Survivor Series was to give Vince the papers at the Royal Rumble in 2003. He was currently content to live in North Carolina with his wife Marissa, anticipating the birth of their first child.

Linda smiled, thinking about her first grandchild on the way. She wished Shane all the best and felt sure he would be the best father he could.

Linda looked around her and Vince's bedroom. There was not much to inventory in there; most of her personal effects had been packed up and moved into her new place months ago. All that was really left to go through were old jewelry boxes that neither she nor Vince had thought about in a long time.

As she rifled through the boxes, Linda found nothing interesting at first. Just a lot of older pieces from the early years of her and Vince's marriage. When she got to the last box, she found it locked.

"That's odd," Linda muttered, "why would this old thing be locked?"

Remembering where the key to the box was, Linda unlocked and opened it. Searching through it, she found no legitimate reason for either her or Vince to have locked it. Then at the bottom of the box, she found it.

It was a simple gold chain necklace, laying neatly coiled on the velvet bottom of the jewelry box. It was fairly unremarkable by itself, yet Linda felt sure she had seen it before. Try as she might, Linda McMahon could not recall her husband ever owning a chain like it.

_'Why would Vince own something like this?' _Linda mused silently, picking the neckless up and examining it. Then it hit her. She knew exactly where she ad seen it before.

It just wasn't Vince's neck she had seen it hung around.

She pocketed the necklace, put everything back in the box and locked it. She quickly finished her inventory and went back to the condo she had been leasing. Linda spent most of the night thinking about what to do with what she had found. Finally, near dawn, she had come to a decision.

She may not be certain with what to do with her discovery, but she knew somebody who might.

She quickly dialed Mick Foley's number.

Next chapter should be done fairly quickly and will pick up where Chapter Five left off. Things are going to move quite rapidly now without giving too much away :-)


	7. Chapter Six: Shock Treatment

Certain people have been waiting for this one :-D That and the next part ;-)

TITLE: What You Used to Be Chapter Six

AUTHOR: Juliet3:16

RATING: R  
EMAIL: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE, TORTURE  
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST  
SPOILERS: Through WM - X7  
SUMMARY: What would you do to save a friend?  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these people in the story, they are owned by either World Wrestling Entertainment, or they own themselves.  
DISTRIBUTION: WWOMB, anyplace else, please ask.

_What You Used to Be_

_Chapter Six_

_Shock Treatment_

The sound of the phone woke Mick Foley at six in the morning. He had not planned to be up for another couple of hours, since it was a school holiday for two of his kids.

"Hello?" he answered roughly.

"Mick? It's Linda. I'm sorry I woke you up so early," Linda McMahon's soft voice apologized.

"That's okay, Linda. What do you need?" Mick asked, sleep clearing from his brain. In Mick's opinion, Linda McMahon was the kindest soul Mick had ever encountered. Her son, Shane, seemed to have inherited much of her behavior, at least when he wasn't around wrestling or his father for a prolonged period of time. It made Mick wonder sometimes where Stephanie got her screechy voice and behaviors from.

"Well, I was complying with the court order for me and Vince to go through our things separately," Linda began. Mick nodded despite the fact the older woman could not see him. He had known from talking to her previously that as part of the divorce arbitration, she and Vince each had to have an inventory of their things that each one wanted in the final divorce settlement. He knew Vince was at RAW last night and would probably be headed with the rest of the WWF to SMACKDOWN in Florida, so that was probably the most opportune time for her to go through their house with him gone. Knowing Vince McMahon the way everybody did, it was bound to be an ugly divorce, but Mick knew Linda was tougher than she appeared and everything would be all right in the end.

"And?" Mick prompted, knowing that she had to have uncovered something that warranted her calling him this early in the morning.

"I found something in one of our old jewelry boxes that I think you might want to look at, if you mind coming over?" Linda asked, fingering the gold chain that had been in her hands ever since she had found it.

"Please Mick?" Linda pleaded, "it's important."

Mick was confused, but willing to go along with it. If Linda thought a piece of jewelry was important, then he would go and see what the item was that Linda thought he needed to see.

"Sure, Linda. I can be in Connecticut in about two hours," he told his former boss.

"You still have the directions to the condo?" Linda asked.

"Yeah, I still have them," Mick replied.

"Thanks, Mick. I'll see you then," Linda said, hanging up the phone.

Mick got up to get ready for his unexpected trip to Connecticut.

_A few days later_

Mick Foley stood a bit nervously outside the Austin home. He had called Steve and told him that he would be flying down to Texas after Thursday's SMACKDOWN to talk to him. Mick just hoped that Steve would accept what Mick had to give him. Mick reached down into his pocket again, feeling what Linda had given him a few days before; it felt like it was a hot coal or a brick. Maybe it was a brick, something to finally get through his former friend's head past all the conditioning of one Vincent K. McMahon.

He knocked on the door and waited. When Steve opened it, Mick was grateful that Steve had done what Mick had asked of him and not worn a stupid suit and tie. Granted, the black slacks and long - sleeved turtleneck did nothing to dispel the Corporate image Steve had attained the last few years since WrestleMania X-Seven, but at least Mick could fight the urge to vomit better.

"Mick," Austin greeted Mick. Foley knew Steve had to be confused over why Mick had called him out of the blue asking to speak to him. None of Steve's former friends and family had spent anytime with him privately or socially since his alliance with Vince began. Mick knew he was taking a big chance in showing up virtually unannounced, but he had always been a proponent of the shock therapy route.

Which was why he had not told anybody what he had gotten from Linda or what he was going to do with it.

The fact that Steve had allowed Mick to come over was either an encouraging sign or a trap. Mick decided he wanted to believe the former.

As he entered Steve's home and let Austin lead him into the kitchen, Mick was surprised that for the most part, the house was relatively unchanged from the last time he was there a few years earlier. Mick supposed that changing Austin did not extend to the decor of his home in Vince's mind.

"Would you like something to drink?" Steve said in that almost cultured tone that Mick had to assume was part of the number Vince had done on his one time friend. He was proud of not outwardly cringing upon hearing it. Mick fought against saying aloud something along the lines that he should have been grateful that Vince did not wipe the Texas accent of his friend away completely.

"No, thanks," Mick said almost shuddering to think of what kind of Kool - Aid Steve would offer him to drink, "I don't know how long I'll be staying yet." That was the truth, so far as that went.

"What did you want to talk about Mick?" Steve asked sitting down at the table.

"Linda McMahon asked me to come to her place a few days ago," Mick began, now unsure how to do what he felt he needed to do. If he was wrong, the worst he would get was his ass kicked. If he was right, he would be potentially shredding what had been one of his best friend's heart's.

"What did - " Steve started to say, stopping at the glare in Mick's eyes. A glare that told him anything negative about Linda and Mick would leave. Probably not before injuring his former friend. "What did Mrs. McMahon have to say to you?"

Mick took that as a positive sign in the right direction. He took a deep breath and went with it.

"It wasn't so much what she said as what she gave me. Kinda figured I would know what to do to with this." With that Mick took the gold necklace that Linda had given to him during their meeting in Connecticut and laid it before Steve on the table. Mick then sat down himself.

Mick saw the recognition and shock in his friend's formerly glazed eyes as he looked at the gold chain coiled before him like a snake. He saw Steve's fingers shake slightly as he moved his hands to touch it.

"I think we both know that it's yours and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you didn't lose it as you told everybody. Somebody stole it from you," Mick said softly. He did not want to outright say Vince yet, though Mick hoped that was what Steve would realize soon. The last thing Mick wanted to do was push too much, too fast, and have Vince's brainwashing take over.

Mick Foley watched as Steve Austin's eyes glistened with tears as he picked up the chain delicately. Steve got up blindly and stumbled out of the kitchen. Mick chose not to follow but instead sat and waited for a reaction.

He got it a few minutes later when he heard what sounded like glass breaking. Mick got up and headed to Steve's bedroom, where he thought the sound had come from. As his ears picked up the sound of crying, Mick was sure he was on the road to getting his friend back.

And somehow two spirits are probably hi - fiving each other right now in this story Cheeky smile Next part deals with the fallout of Mick's gift. More soon!


	8. Chapter Seven: Waking Up

TITLE: What You Used to Be

AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
EMAIL:   
RATING: R  
CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE, TORTURE  
CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST  
SPOILERS: Through WM - X7  
SUMMARY: What would you do to save a friend?  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these people in the story, they are owned by either World Wrestling Entertainment, or they own themselves.  
DISTRIBUTION: WWOMB, anyplace else, please ask.

_What You Used to Be_

_Chapter Seven_

_'Waking up'_

Steve had run blindly into his bedroom, shock flowing through him at seeing his necklace again.

The necklace Brian gave him.

The one he thought he lost.

The one Vince stole.

Mick had been right, it had not taken a rocket scientist to know that if it had ended up in Linda McMahon's hands, then it had been stolen. Since Linda never struck anybody as the type to steal anything, only one person had to have taken it off Steve's neck.

Vince.

He went to his night stand, opening the drawer and sifting through it. Finally he took out what he was looking for: A picture of himself and Brian Pillman back when they had been tag team partners in WCW. When everything had felt right with the world.

"What have I become man, Steve whispered, not really noticing that his voice had lost some of the cultured tone that Vince had brainwashed into him.

He took a look at himself in the mirror attached to the room's closet. The image in front of him did not resemble the man that last looked into it with clear eyes. The black slacks and long sleeved turtleneck did not fit the man he had known before. Except for the bald head and goatee, the man in front of him was not familiar at all; he looked like a stranger in his own eyes.

In one swift burst of anger, Stone Cold's fist impacted with the mirror, his mind and soul welcoming the pain of the tiny shards of glass embedding themselves in his hand. It was the first bit of real feeling he had experienced as the zombie - like fog Vince had placed on him began to lift little by little.

As he went to put the framed photograph of him and Brian on the night stand, another caught his eye. One of himself, Vince, Stephanie, and Triple H with the belts shortly after WrestleMania, all smiles.

With another burst of indignant anger, he threw that frame across the room, heedless to the sound of it breaking as he slid down by his bed and cried. In the midst of the emotional storm, he did not notice Mick coming in to knee next to his friend to offer comfort and support.

A few hours later, Steve and Mick sat at the kitchen table with several beers between them. Steve was not actually sure where the beer had come from (he suspected Mick had brought it along with him), as he was pretty sure there had not been much in the way of alcohol in his house for quite sometime. However, it had managed to appear, Steve was grateful for he was sorely in need of alcohol in his system tonight.

After the emotional breakdown in his bedroom, the first thing he had done was change out of the clothes he had been wearing. Steve managed to find an old T - Shirt and jeans from the back of one of his drawers. He and Mick had spent the last several hours trying to figure out just how Vince had managed to manipulate and make a general mess of Stone Cold's life and reputation over the last few years.

"So your saying," Austin asked starting to feel some of the buzz from the few beers he had drank thus far. "That those pictures of Rock and Debra - "

"Where staged, yeah," Mick confirmed for his friend. "Trish Stratus confessed later that she and Stephanie set up and took the photos. All of this after he paid somebody off to drug the wine that was sent to Rock's hotel room. Vince was banking on Rock being too nice a guy to leave Debra distressed like she was after Vince kicked her out of the arena. Trish wrote all this in a letter that was sent right after her injuries."

"Well why didn't she actually _say _something Mick?" Austin asked, the pain evident in his voice.

"Other than the fact it was basically her word against Vince, Stephanie, and Hunter? I think she was planning to after Ric revealed himself to be co - owner. I never thought it was a coincidence that she stated on an SMACKDOWN shortly after Shane's WCW was crushed, that she had an announcement that would signal the beginning of the end of Vince's 'bubble,' and then on RAW Jazz comes in and ends Trish's career by breaking her neck," Mick mused, "she's in a vegetative state, Steve."

"Vince's way of keeping things buried huh?" Steve snorted. Then he paused, his face somber.

"I remember very little of that night after I left SMACKDOWN," he spoke, "I remember leaving and being pissed off over what Vince did to Debra earlier. I remember stopping at a convenience store to get some beer. I vaguely remember being jumped from behind. Might have been Helmsley, maybe somebody else too."

"In her letter," Mick said, "Trish speculated that Hunter, Angle, and Regal may have had something to do with kidnapping you. She didn't have any proof, and claimed that she didn't know what Vince and crew were really up too until later, but given what you just said, it wouldn't surprise me."

"After that, everything's a blur. Until today," Steve finished quietly, fingering the gold chain that was now around his neck with his uninjured hand. Mick had gotten the glass out of the knuckles and bandaged it after finding Steve in his room.

"Point is Steve," Mick spoke, putting the only beer he had that night down, "that's in the past. What's going to happen now?"

Steve stared down at the beer he was currently drinking for a few moments. When he looked at Mick, there was more fire in those blue eyes than Mick had seen in a long while. When he spoke, it was Stone Cold speaking.

"What happens now? Now, Vince fucking pays!"


End file.
